My menu à la carte
Last week when I noted that many of our politicians treat ingredients of democracy as an “à la carte menu at a restaurant,” two of the four e-mails I received on the column asked me questions about the phrase ‘à la carte’.
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They both told me in their emails that they are very regular readers of the column. One of the questions was what I meant by à la carte menu (I presumed this might be a young reader) and the other was why did I compare ingredients of democracy to an à la carte menu?
In my usual way, I sent them personal emails and explained to them that ‘menu à la carte’ is a French phrase meaning a menu of items where each of them is priced separately, unlike a table d'hôte (another French phrase) which refers to a menu served at a restaurant with chosen items by the restaurant put together for one price.
Therefore, if I ordered for rice, yam, chicken, fish, salad, and ice cream individually with separate prices from a menu, that will be a menu à la carte, as opposed to what the restaurant would offer, say rice and chicken stew or rice and fish stew.
Interestingly, today, due to the very eventful nature of the week, we are giving our dear readers a menu à la carte instead of a table d'hôte, which will not satisfy our appetite for the week.
Osafo-Maafo tape
First on our list is the Osafo-Maafo tape. This tape contains a voice purported to be that of former Minister of Finance, Yaw Osafo-Maafo, engaging in what has been described by many as a tribalistic diatribe at a meeting in the Eastern Region in January.
Interestingly, Osafo-Maafo has not denied nor confirmed that the voice on the tape is his. However, according to a statement by his special assistant, his voice (or message) had been doctored. does this imply confirmation that the voice is his?
The statement says that at the meeting “Hon. Yaw Osafo-Maafo made several remarks on the state of the Ghanaian economy, on political strategy and on economic and political empowerment”, but adds that “his remarks have been distorted as advocating tribal or ethnic sentiments and trying to create the impression that he is a tribalist.”
The statement also said “the tape has been doctored, mischievously re-arranged and pieced together, using modern technology, to create a false impression, and that it was a desperate attempt to divert the attention of Ghanaians from the real problems facing Ghana — widespread corruption, rising levels of unemployment, economic hardships and mismanagement of the economy.”
When did Osafo-Maafo and his aids and special assistants realise that some people, possibly his opponents within and outside the New Patriotic Party, have an agenda to destroy him? And why could they be so naïve that in this modern time when even a common mobile phone can record speeches, Osafo-Maafo would make statements on such important issues as narrated in his statement without them doing any recording?
Where is original recording?
Mr Osafo-Maafo has only three options. First, he has to produce what he thinks is the original recording which had not been doctored; secondly, he must admit what has been made public if he believes in it and defend his position; and lastly, he must withdraw the statement and apologise if none of the first two can be done.
Any politician making public statements, especially about serious national issues, must learn to record their speeches no matter which platform they speak on. Engaging numerous aides and special assistants without having effective public and media managers is of no effect in these modern times.
Dr Joe Oteng Adjei and Lexus LX 570
Item two is Dr Joe Oteng Adjei and the Lexus LX 570. Six months after the man leaves office as minister, he continues to use an expensive official car allegedly bought for the monitoring of rural electrification project, and still has the impudence to tell Ghanaians that anybody who thinks he has done something wrong should go to court.
As a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), a party which was formed by Flt Lt. Jerry John Rawlings, under whose leadership Real Admiral Joy Amedume was shot for “using his influence to get a bank loan of ¢50,000 (about $20,000 at the time)”, didn’t Oteng Adjei’s conscience tell him that taking away a state car which cost so huge an amount was nothing short of thievery, and that he deserves worse punishment than what Joy Amedume, who only took a bank loan which was to be repaid, received? Where is Rawlings?
Oteng Adjei’s arrogant posture that he was still keeping the Lexus because when he moved from the Energy Ministry to the Ministry of Environment and Science, “their financial situation was a bit difficult” so he worked out with his previous ministry to keep the car is hollow when one considers it that every ministry has its own budget. And what about when he ceased to be a minister; did he agree with the President this time to use it?
GYEEDA trial
The item three on the menu is the GYEEDA trial, Abuga Pele, and Kofi Humado. Since the trial is going on, we won’t comment on its substance. What we want to know is why the Attorney-General’s office is using Mr Humado as a prosecution witness when he was the substantive minister under whom GYEEDA operated?
When the money involved in the alleged corruption against Abuga Pele is more than the ceiling allowed GYEEDA by Humado, the then Minister of Youth and Sports, how come he (Humado) is only a witness when he must also answer questions for the alleged corrupt acts at GYEEDA?
So with the state saying it has no interest in pursuing the case which involved the six people charged with helping Nayele Ametefe to export cocaine from Ghana, does it mean that if tomorrow another person facilitates the export of cocaine from Ghana, there would be no prosecutions? What has happened to that phrase “aiding and abetting” which prosecutors have used many times to send people to jail?
By the way, I will be travelling next week and I want the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to give me two senior officials to escort me through the VVIP lounge. I hope the minister will not tell me I don’t qualify when we have a precedent.
Shoe company
My last item on the menu is the State of the Nations address by the President last Thursday. It seems Mr President forgot to tell us how the local shoe manufacturing company he gave free publicity last year is doing. I wonder how he is going to complete all the projects he mentioned when while he was in Parliament his Finance Minister had agreed with the IMF to slash government spending as part of the conditions for the $1 billion bailout?
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You see, I didn’t choose ‘dumsor’ because the President assured us (note that he didn’t promise but assured) that Atuabo, Asogli, Bui, Kpong, Akosombo and the West Africa Gas Pipeline are all ready to flow to ensure enough power soon. Hurray!
PS: By the way, is Sam George still at the Presidency when NDC Deputy General Secretary, Koku Anyidoho, said President Mahama is fed up with him (George)? I heard him on radio on Thursday speaking for the government. Koku, I hope you didn’t hear him?
The author is a Political Scientist, and Media and Communication Expert. [email protected]